Chapter 11

Lucy was sitting at the guild bar, sipping from a tall glass of iced tea. She was so lost in thought, she was almost oblivious to the usual Fairy Tail hubbub behind her. As she thought, she absentmindedly twirled the ruby ring she wore on her thumb. It was a man's ring, heavy and far too big to wear on any other finger.

Several nights ago, it had been late when she felt him slip the ring onto her hand. She remembered that her eyes grew big when she realized what it was. She knew how important the ring was, especially to his House—Leos did not give their rings away willingly. What did he mean by putting it on her finger? Was he asking something of her?

"I'm not…I'm not asking you to promise me anything, " he had mumbled sleepily into her hair before adding the word "yet" with a chuckle, "It's just… I wanted to give you something of mine, so you know how strongly I feel about you."

"Loki, this is your...ring," said Lucy, "I can't take this, its too...important. Don't you need it?"

"Me? Nah. It looks so much better on you. It clashes with my eye color."

Lucy scoffed, a bit nervously. In her mind's eye, receiving a ring from the young man you liked involved a complicated affair with white dresses and flowers.

"So?"

Lucy looked once more at her hand. The metal felt warm against her skin, like it belonged there. Plus, she wasn't promising anything, right? "Alright," she said, turning over to nestle her head against his shoulder, "Thank you. I'll take care of it."

Her eyes were closed but she could tell that he was smiling.

"Ooh, nice ring," said Mirajane, coming over to refill Lucy's glass. She put the pitcher down on the counter to examine Lucy's finger more closely, "I know I've seen it before…Oh! Is that from who I think it's from?"

Lucy made a face. "Who? I dunno what you're talking about."

Mira's eyes grew wider as the pieces fit together in her mind. "REALLY?" she gasped in excitement, a huge grin spreading on her face, "When is the date? And where are you having it? You'll need some place really big if our whole guild is going to come. Do you have your dre—"

"Mira! It's not like that," sighed Lucy, who was rather embarrassed. She looked down, spreading out her fingers. "He just…let me wear it."

"Hmm, you've got skinny fingers," mused Mira. She strode down the bar, opening drawers as she passed. After rooting through a few, she exclaimed, "Ah ha!" and quickly trotted back. With Lucy's permission, the S-class mage took the ruby ring to string it on a long, gleaming silver chain.

"Here, try that," said Mira, handing it back to her friend with a wink, "That way it won't slip off your finger and you can tuck it into your top and hide it if need be."

After a quick jaunt to the market to pick up some groceries, Lucy was walking home along the canal. She hugged a brown paper bag with a loaf of French bread sticking out of the top closely as she precariously stepped along the wall. Toying with the ring as she waved to the fisherman, Lucy marveled at way the ruby sparkled in the sunlight. Just by looking at it, one would think it was a beautiful ring. The history and the significance of the ring made Lucy love the piece even more. Lucy was very glad to have the chain—it felt very secure on her neck and Mira was right, the length of the chain let her tuck it in her top (or as Mira had joked, between her breasts? So awkward but no one would know it was there!). The last thing Loki had done before returning to the Spirit World was to kiss Lucy goodbye, and teasingly say, "Don't lose it."

Just as Lucy stepped off the last stepping stone, she felt an ominous breeze blow through her hair, charged with spirit energy. Always alert, Lucy quickly turned around to face her threat, a key gripped firmly in her hand.

"Relax, Lucy," said Priscilla, who had materialized on the walkway. Her fleece lined jacket was gone—she was wearing a slim-fitting tank paired with tight white jeans. The golden bracelets stacked on both of the spirit's arms gleamed as she waved.

"Oh, Pri..I mean, Cilla, what's up?" said Lucy, flustered. Why was Priscilla here? Had Lucy unknowingly violated some Spirit World law?

Priscilla winked. "No worries, you're not in trouble. Father finally approved the visa and I wanted to give it to you personally."

"Thanks, that was err- really nice of you," said Lucy, who was having trouble thinking of a response. She took the "visa" – a little golden lock to be clipped onto her key-ring.

"No problem. But hey, what're you doing now? Are you busy?" Priscilla smiled expectantly at her, which reminded Lucy of a cat watching her prey walk into a trap. Her watching eyes made Lucy uncomfortable.

"Well, I just got back from the market," Lucy answered cautiously, hefting the groceries on her hip. She covertly slipped the ring between her breasts as she did so (Argh, she was wearing a flowy top so she couldn't just tuck it in. Mira was right!) "I've got ice cream to put in the—"

"Great! Come with me!" Priscilla suddenly lunged forward, her grip tightly latched on Lucy's forearm, causing her to drop the bag. Before Lucy could squeak out a protest, she felt the air change around her—Priscilla was performing a 'return'.

The bag of groceries landed on the sidewalk, spilling French bread and apples all over the sidewalk.

Lucy's journey into the spirit world was a rough one. With Priscilla, it felt like Lucy had been thrown into a dryer set on high-it was rough, nowhere near the experience she received when Loki was her partner.

Finally tumbling out of the cycle, Lucy landed rather clumsily in front of Priscilla, who was waiting for the spirit mage to regain her balance. Lucy was thrown off by her body language-with one hand on a jutting out hip, Lucy expected her to be sneering...but the smile on her face was warm. Perhaps deceptively so?

"Well? Do you like it? This is the home of the House of Aries," said Priscilla, spreading her arms out proudly. The pair was standing in front of a mansion of sorts, modern yet ancient looking at the same time. Lucy was instantly reminded of the Roman Coliseum.

"It's very breathtaking," Lucy answered truthfully as her eyes scanned the rest of the property. The physical House of Aries was certainly grandiose, and the rest of the estate was the same way. There was a perfectly manicured garden on one side and the other was home to a vast vineyard.

"It's the best of the Spirit World," said Priscilla, "Now come, I'd like to show you something." She gently took Lucy's hand (which was unexpected. Lucy was afraid that the spirit was going to latch her claws into her arm and drag her) and pulled her towards the house.

The house was even more beautiful on the inside—it effortlessly blended ancient and modern into one.

There were marble columns and lots of golden trim but it wasn't overly flashy. The entire property oozed power and wealth without gaudiness or tackiness of some that tried too hard. As she stepped through the foyer, Lucy couldn't help but be on edge. "Why is she showing me all of this?" she thought.

Suddenly, a familiar voice, or squeak rather, made Lucy jump. "Lucy! Wh-wh-what are you doing here?" said Aries, quickly padding down the marble staircase. Her voice rang with concern. "We have to get you out of here before-"

"Aries! There you are," said Priscilla, smiling again as she came to greet her sister, "I brought your owner over for a visit."

"I'm glad to see you, Lucy," squeaked Aries, "But is it okay for you to be here? With the laws and all? Maybe you should-"

"Oh nonsense," said Priscilla, waving her hand, "I worked it out with Father. Come Aries, you can come along as I give Lucy a tour."

Aries nodded, but as her large eyes connected with Lucy's, Lucy clearly saw the fear that resonated within her spirit-Aries was afraid for her.

Priscilla enthusiastically began to give Lucy a history of the noble House, pointing out various artifacts of importance as they walked through the expansive rooms and hallways. If this had been under different circumstances, Lucy would have been ecstatic to learn about one of most powerful spirit Houses! But her mind was on red alert-Aries was certainly loyal to Lucy, and the warnings she had given her owner meant Priscilla had something big and unpleasant up her sleeve. But what was it?

"And here, Lucy, is the biggest attraction of our house," Priscilla said, her voice cutting into Lucy's thoughts, "I assume that you are aware of the House of Aries' position in the Spirit World?"

Lucy felt Aries squeeze her hand, warning her of the danger. "The heads of the First house are...warlords. Strategic planners," recited Lucy, remembering her lessons.

"Quite right," Priscilla smiled again, "And because you're one of the most promising Stellar Spirit mages our world has seen in a long while, Father gave me special permission to show you our war room." With a flourish, she pushed open the heavy oak doors of the room. It was a classic executive meeting room, full of chairs and desks, but the centerpiece floated in the middle of the room-a giant display of the galaxy. It was beautiful, Lucy thought, as she scanned the galaxy. The principal constellations were outlined in gold and the miniature sun glowed brightly, illuminating the world. However, a giant cloud seemed to be moving through the stars, snuffing out their brilliant light.

"It isn't common knowledge to the humans yet, but the Spirit World is on the brink of war," said Priscilla. Her voice was suddenly all business; the warmness in her tone turned quickly into ice. "The enemy is a legion of spirits from a far off galaxy, but they're unlike anything we've ever fought before. They're faster, stronger, and a hell of a lot smarter."

"Will you be able to fight them off?" Lucy asked, extremely concerned. She had no idea that something so large of scale was happening!

"We are severely outnumbered but I think we have a fighting chance. The key to winning is the morale of our people-our bonded pairs need to rally their houses so that we can fight the threat united. This is what I need you to understand, Do you follow?" At first, Lucy's perception of the spirit was that of a friend. Lucy's image of Priscilla had quickly morphed into a ruthless military commander, ready to cut down anyone who stood in her path to victory.

Lucy took a deep breath to steady herself. "I'm not sure I do," she answered tentatively, "I care for the spirits, I really do. Is there anything I can do to-"

The sneer on Priscilla's face finally appeared, setting off every single warning bell in Lucy's mind. Aries quickly hooked her arm with her owner's in an attempt to protect her but Priscilla's words were precise, hard, and strong. "Loki. I need him. He needs to do his duty, he needs to rise up and together, we will be generals and lead our forces to victory. He is capable of great things and once the two of us are bonded, there will be no power greater then ours."

"What the-"

"I forbid you to see him again, Lucy," spat Priscilla, her voice like iron, "He was never yours to begin with. He knows that as a bonded pair, we can save our world. If you refuse, you are an obstruction to us winning this war and I swear, I will cut you down myself."

The silence in the room was deafening. "How dare you threaten me," Lucy said, her eyes narrowed, "I am-"

"Human. Exactly." Priscilla the White suddenly extended her arm, palm up and Lucy felt herself being thrown backwards. Aries shrieked as Lucy expected to connect with the wall but she was falling...into a portal? Everything began to fade into darkness, and Lucy felt something snap as she heard Priscilla's voice echo ominously from within the void. "Remember what we talked about, Lucy. Remember."

Lucy was falling into blackness. It was a horrible, disorienting feeling as her stomach lurched back and forth...and then suddenly, she slammed into the hard floor of her kitchen. She was home.

What the heck was that snapping noise? It sounded like metal rings being pulled apart until they broke. As Lucy painfully pushed herself up, something slid down her shirt-the silver chain from Mira. One of the links had snapped...and the ring was gone. Priscilla had taken Loki's ring.

Wasting no time, Lucy sprang into action. Although rage coursed through her veins, she felt numb as she plugged her kitchen sink, turning all the taps on full blast until it was full of water. Fishing her keyring from her belt, she pointed at the water and summoned.

Almost instantly, the kitchen filled with a glowing light. The unmistakable sound of a fish flopping out of water followed. "Seriously, this can't happen anymore Lucy or I'm revoking your key," screamed Aquarius, only her tailfins in the sink. The rage evaporated from her face as she saw Lucy's expression. "What happened?"

"I just met with Priscilla," Lucy said, gritting her teeth together, "And she told me about the upcoming war."

Aquarius made a serious face, which was new to Lucy, who had only seen her spirit two ways: pissed off or love-struck. "Yeah, the war. It was rather quick and unexpected but we're working out it."

"Priscilla said that she and Loki had to...complete their bonding to win the war."

Aquarius turned uncomfortably on the tile. "Well, I guess it's kind of true. Once a pair is bonded, their power grows. It's like when you put two halves of a whole together—they are stronger together." As Lucy's face fell, Aquarius was quick to add to her comments. "But don't worry, among the principal houses, we've got almost all of the bonded pairs. And one from Aries and Leo already exist. Technically, they don't need Priscilla and Loki."

"According to Priscilla, it's a morale issue. If they're together, for sure you guys'll win because it'll unite the Spirit World." Lucy's words were hollow.

"They're both strong enough on their own without having to bond. Plus, they aren't the only weapons we have. Lucy, we'll win."

Lucy stood in her kitchen. More drama than cooking had occurred in this space, that was for sure. She believed Aquarius' words but all she could think about was the size of that purple cloud in the war room. It was large-large enough to cover the entire galaxy. Lucy couldn't even begin to imagine a world without the stars sparkling in the sky.

Almost as if reading her thoughts, Lucy felt spirit-charged air in her apartment again. She turned half-heartedly, totally not in the mood to deal with Priscilla again but there was no one there—instead, a small white box had appeared on her coffee table. It was small and there was a note tied to the ribbon—written in exquisitely beautiful cursive was one word: Remember.

Lucy untied the ribbon and dumped the contents of the box into her hand, unsurprised when Loki's ring tumbled out. She knew what Priscilla wanted her to do.

A/N: Too serious? I had a feeling it might be. It was kind of long too. Blah, I figured I have this out of the way and then I can write about the other I have up my sleeve! Aaah, I can't wait to write it. Let's just say...there's a good reason Loki isn't in this chapter. He's busy. ^^